Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2005. First Look. NCES 2008-301

Chute, Adrienne; Kroe, P. Elaine

National Center for Education Statistics

This report includes national and state summary data on public libraries in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with an introduction, selected findings, and tables. The report is based on data from the Public Libraries Survey for fiscal year 2005, and includes information on service measures such as number of users of electronic resources, number of Internet terminals used by the general public, reference transactions, interlibrary loans, circulation, library visits, children's program attendance, and circulation of children's materials. It also includes information about size of collection, staffing, operating revenue and expenditures, type of legal basis, and number and type of public library service outlets. This report is based on the final data file. Selected findings include: (1) Library visits to public libraries totaled 1.4 billion, or 4.7 library visits per capita; (2) Total nationwide circulation of public library materials was 2.1 billion, or 7.2 materials circulated per capita; (3) Nationwide, circulation of children's materials was 716.4 million, or 35 percent of total circulation, and attendance at children's program as 54.6 million; and (4) Average number of Internet terminals available for public use per stationary outlet was 11.2. The following are appended: (1) Technical Notes; and (2) Survey Questionnaire. (Contains 5 footnotes and 13 tables.) [For "Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal Year 2004. E.D. TAB. NCES 2006-349," see ED492940.]